A Hong Kong SAR government official on Tuesday advised the retailers take off Red Bull products from the shelves as a precaution.

Noting that the major retailer chains had already taken off Red Bull products from the shelves, the commissioner for narcotics of the Government Sally Wong advised the retailers to follow suit as a precaution since some of the Red Bull samples were found to contain the dangerous drug.

It was also suggested that they consider returning the products to their suppliers and the retailers were receptive to the advice.

Government officials met with Red Bull Hong Kong Office representatives, importers and retailers of Red Bull products on Tuesday. They were informed that Government Laboratory had conducted tests on samples of Red Bull products and found traces of cocaine on Monday in some of the samples coming from Austria and the United Kingdom.

No cocaine was detected in the of further samples on Tuesday. Wong said the Government would further contact the Red Bull Hong Kong Office for more comprehensive product information, lot and serial numbers and samples for testing in order to establish whether the existence of traces of cocaine in some samples is a systematic issue or whether it relates to any particular lot or serial number.

(Xinhua News Agency June 3, 2009)